[phersbees]

I built stands for all my hive to get them organized and to make it easier for me to mow. well now I got to move them. I know of the two foot two mile Guide line. that said how would I go about moving a hive 50 foot.

a friend said to take them 3 miles away and wait a week then bring them back that seem like a lot of work.

any ideas?

 

[Michael Bush]

Step by step instructions:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm#between

 

[jbraun]

I used MB method but didn't have much success with only a branch. I had an extra top with me and leaned it in front of the porch. All of the bees had to go to either end to fly in and out. I took it off 3 days later and no more bees at old location.

 

[Agis Apiaries]

I've used a branch or two from our local pine trees that are thick with needles, so any bee leaving is blocked, and has to go around it. Has always been successful for me.

 

[bison]

Agree with the above comments - just move 'em and don't sweat it much. They'll figure it out.

 

[bradleymarson693]

When I move them small distance's I lean a wooden board up against the hive so it is infront of the entrance. The board I use is slightly higher than the entrance and just as wide as the hive. So you have made a tunnel at the entrance where they can only go left or right once they leave the hive, and then I use a lot of bushes and twig at either end so they have to climb through to be able to take flight.
I have never had any loses to my knowledge with this method and I have kept returning to the previous site to check how well it had worked, I could never find a single bee so they all reorientated.

 

[Oldtimer]

Yes agree, just move them.

But here is a couple things I try to do in similar situation. I don't put branch or anything in front of the hive, has never made any difference, for me. But if it's only 50 feet, try to do it on a day when prevailing wind is going from the new location, to the old. returning bees will go to the old location but fly around lost. Then they will catch the scent of the hive and follow it to the new location. You can actually stand there and watch this happen, there will be a mass of confused bees circling at the old location, with a steady portion of them funnelling of and making their way to the new location, long as they can smell it. After a few days they will stop going to the old location first.

Do this when weather is warm. You don't want returning bees getting chilled before they have time to figure it out.

 

[Michael Bush]

A board works very well in place of a branch. And a branch needs to be thick enough to be an impedance to them.

 

[minz]

I suppose it depends on how you are moving them. If I am using the pickup as a dolly so I drive it to another place and open the tailgate and un block the entry. After a couple of days, move them to the new hive stand. I tried tricking them and ended up with a pile of bees in the old spot. Unfortunately I am in the same boat and I am not looking forward to it (about 150 feet)

 

[johnogaunt]

Provided you have open mesh floor or ventilated travelling screen you can simply close the entrance for 2-3 days then let them chew their way out at the new location through a strip of newspaper sellotaped to the entrance with pin pricks rather like a newspaper merge.

 

[phersbees]

I ended up moving 6 of them at 11pm two nights ago. I move them anywhere from 2' to little over 50' to my new bee stand. (day 2)the one that was 50' had some bees circling the old spot (maybe 100) bees in the morning. all the hives seemed to be in confusion the next day(day 3) everyone is back to normal. all I did is just moved them.

I did get scared a little when all the hives were re-orientating. its was a huge ball of bee floating around all 6 hives. first thoughts was robbing but it wasn't. Just them checking out new spot